The Biography of Concubine Wen Xi in Qing Palace

Chapter 4 Scheming ([-])

As dusk approached, it rained patter in the capital, the sky was covered by dark clouds, and the night was darker earlier than usual.

The servant in charge, holding an oil-paper umbrella, sent coir raincoats to the guards guarding the gate.

He stood on the porch in front of the door, staring blankly at the people walking on the road, and murmured to himself: "The sky in this capital really changes as soon as it is said."

After the words fell, the door of the house was closed heavily.

Once the Bayara family lost power, there were many discussions in the mansion.

The personal maid he brought from his mother's house was killed by Ye Bilong's order, which made everyone who was close to Bayara's servants feel in danger.

After Ye Bilong dealt with Bayara, he carried the still unconscious Wannai back to his boudoir.

Wan Lai slept deeply, the curtains in front of the window were drooping, and the room was empty, except for her personal maid, Yun Shan, who was at her side.

Yunshan was holding a snow-white cat in her arms and was meowing, and she didn't know when and where who found it.

Yunshan is two years older than Wanyu. At the age of seven, her father sold her into the Niu Hulu Mansion as a slave. Since entering the mansion, she has been serving Wanyu by her side.

The two are about the same age, and they get along very well in private, better than Jin Lan.

On weekdays, if Wanyu got something delicious and useful, she would often give some to Yunshan, and her status was naturally more valuable than other rough envoys and servants.

Seeing that Wannai seemed to be moving behind the curtain, Yunshan deliberately cleared her throat, and murmured to the white cat in her arms: "Xuerong, Miss Bairi locked you in that pine cabinet. You are so bored. Now you see, she is sleeping soundly, why don't you go and make trouble with her on her bed?" After saying that, she really opened the curtain, and put the snow velvet on Wannai's bed.

Xuerong jumped to Wanyu's pillow, stretched out her thorny tongue and licked Wanyu's cheek, Wanyu couldn't help laughing, sat up suddenly from the bed, and took Xuerong into her arms middle.

She raised the curtain, caressing the snow velvet, raised her head and smiled at Yunshan: "If it wasn't for the help of the snow velvet, I'm afraid you and I wouldn't be able to accomplish anything today."

She got up, put the snow velvet lightly on the ground, snapped her fingers, and teased it to play aside by itself.

Then he raised his arms high and stretched his waist, the expression on his face changed, and he didn't see the childishness in Ye Bilong's room in the afternoon.

Yunshan took the snow satin shawl that was put aside, and waited for Wanyu to put it on: "Today, the Bayara family looks like a dumb man who has eaten coptis, the master has always loved the Ulanara family, everyone in this house knows it. Now that the Bayara family is involved in the death of the Ulanara family, it may be difficult to turn around."

Wanlu patted Yunshan's hand on her shoulder, nodded and smiled and said, "You've always done things neatly."

"Young lady praises me, but I don't dare to be a servant. If the young lady didn't think of such a good plan, how could she bring down the Bayara family in one fell swoop?"

Yunshan walked to the table, took a teacup, poured a cup of warm water for Wanyu, and handed it to her: "Hide the velvet in the cabinet, order the slaves to spread the rumor that the velvet is missing, and send most of the servants in the house to go. Xun, taking advantage of the lack of manpower, let the servants put the pollen into the dried apricot meat made by Ulanara during his lifetime in the living room."

"Then Miss went to look for Bayara by herself, pretending to be close. She asked her to send the servants in her room to help find the snow velvet, so that the servants would have time to put the remaining pollen under the dressing table of Bayara. .She has been oppressed by the Ulanara clan for many years, so it is logical to say that she is not used to her behavior and has murderous intentions."

"In this way, it is logical to let everyone believe that she put the pollen in the apricot meat with the intention of murdering Ulanara. It's just that Miss, Yunshan doesn't know something. How can you lure the master and let him take the apricot with his own hands? Meat for you to eat?"

Wanyu sneered, drank the warm water in the teacup, raised her eyebrows and looked at Yunshan: "I lured Mrs. Bayara to go to the courtyard in front of Ama's house with me all the way, pretending to look for velvet, deliberately making noise. I Knowing that it was the time when Ama got up after lunch, he would definitely come out to have a look when he heard the movement. As long as he saw Ama, he would find any excuse to say that he missed Ulanara."

Wannai said, putting the teacup aside, and tapped the wall with her fingers: "Most of the things left by Ulanara after her death were buried with her. Only those dried apricots made by myself, Ama I was reluctant to throw it away. Ah Ma attaches great importance to the relationship between the two of them, seeing that I am filial and yearning and crying, why is it so difficult for him to take the apricot meat to see things?"

Hearing Wanyu's words, Yunshan couldn't help but praise: "Miss is so smart, I can't find one or two in the capital. However, we have always tolerated her, why can't Miss tolerate her today?"

Wanna looked out of the window with piercing eyes, and for a long time, she closed her eyes helplessly: "Nurse overheard the conversation between Ama and Mother." Her voice weakened, and she sighed softly, and said helplessly, "I'll see you soon." I want to be drafted into the palace and become the emperor's concubine."

Yun Shan's eyes widened, her mouth opened slightly, and she said in surprise: "Why? What's the matter? The young lady has already married into the palace, and now you are the master's only daughter, how can he be willing? The young lady's family letters often mention that the emperor does not pay much money. In the harem, even if you enter the harem, you will usually stay with the empress, if you follow in the footsteps of the young lady, you will suffer."

"Why don't you give up?" Wanyu interrupted Yunshan's words, and laughed at herself: "I was born a daughter, love and marriage, I have never been in control of myself. If I can't devote myself to the battlefield to kill the enemy and make meritorious deeds, I can only serve in the palace. I hope that once I get it Holy favor, glorious lintel. Compared with the glory of Niu Hulu's family, whether I suffer or not is not worth mentioning."

She paused for a moment, bit her lips, and murmured weakly: "The elder sister is the same, let alone me, the concubine's second daughter."

"Madam, isn't Madam persuading Master?"

"Persuasion? How to persuade? If father had put mother in his eyes, he would not have sent her to the palace regardless of his elder sister's death. Daddy has already handed over the list of beautiful girls, and the matter is a foregone conclusion. Instead of me crying to embarrass my mother, I should deal with this matter so that she will miss it less."

Outside the window, the rain became heavier, and occasionally lightning tore through the night sky, reflecting Wan Lai's face pale.

"My mother is kind-hearted. She only cares about the relationship with Ama all her life. She doesn't fight or grab anything, and accepts everything, just to make Ama pay her even a little attention. But in the end, what did you get in return?"

Wannai walked to the window, pushed it open, and let the raindrops fall into the room, soaking her clothes: "When Ulanara was alive, although she was not easy to get along with, she was not as good as Bayara. I am so aggressive. I am not favored as a concubine, and servants will worship high and low. Do you see anyone in this mansion who has respected my mother? Now I am about to leave the house and enter the palace. Fighting back, I still don’t know how Naba Yala will humiliate my mother! So, how can I indulge her?”

Yunshan quickly followed up, pulled Wanyu away from the window, and couldn't help but comfort her: "Miss, don't worry, it's cold at night, what if you get wet and the wind and cold enter your body?"

As she said that, she closed the open window, and took a handkerchief to wipe the rainwater for Wanyu: "Now the Bayara family has been locked up by the master, and the master has also ordered that the housework of the mansion will be in charge of the wife from today onwards. No one in the mansion will despise Madam again."

Wan Lai stopped in front of the window, silent for a long time, inside the house, one of the palace lanterns and candles was burned out, Yun Shan took a new one and replaced it.

The new candles were even more radiant, reflecting a blush on Wan's immature cheeks.

Yun Shan glanced around and saw that she was secretly crying, so she stepped forward to comfort her, but it was Wan Lai who rushed ahead of her and asked:
"What time is it?"

"It's almost Xu time"

"During the day, my mother was beaten by that poisonous woman. I have to visit her." Saying this, Wanyu took off her shawl and coat and handed them to Yunshan, and Yunshan also took off her coat and handed it to Wanyu.

After waiting for Wanyu to change into her own clothes, Yun Shan took an oil-paper umbrella and handed it to Wanyu: "It's raining fast outside, Miss, walk slowly, be careful of slippery feet."

"Relax." Wanyu took the oil-paper umbrella, lowered the cloak a little, covering half of her face, and hurried out of the room.

In the house, Yunshan skillfully changed into Wanyu's clothes, then cut off the burning candle wicks, pulled down the curtains in front of the bed, and slept on Wanyu's couch.

According to the rules set by the mansion, the children of concubines cannot be kept by the concubine's side, and they should have less contact with each other on weekdays.

Ever since Wanyu became sensible at the age of eight, she has always missed her mother so much. She would always change clothes with Yunshan in the middle of the night and sneak into Shu Shujue Luo's room to visit her, so as to suspend the mother and daughter's longing. .

It's just that today Wanyu forgot that she brought down the Bayara family and her mother took power in the mansion, so she didn't need to be so cautious.

Thinking about it, she should have developed a habit over the years.

But only if he has suffered a lot of grievances on weekdays, will he take this sneaky thing as a habit.

On rainy nights, most of the servants and maidservants have already entered to serve or have an early rest. There are few people in the huge Niuhulu Mansion, and it is eerily quiet.

Pian Wanyan was alone, with a thin body holding an oil-paper umbrella, and walked forward slowly through the wind and rain, her back gradually being swallowed by the endless night.

In her mouth, she softly recited the Book of Poems that she and her elder sister composed when she was young, and her childish singing voice echoed in the dark night.

"The other millet is lili, the seedling of the other millet. The walking is sloppy, and the center is shaking."

"Those who know me say that I am worried; those who don't know me say what I want. Who is this?" ①
　Remark 1: The article "Shu Li" is selected from "The Book of Songs·Wang Feng". It was collected among the people and is a Han folk song in the social life of the Zhou Dynasty. It was basically produced from the beginning of the Western Zhou Dynasty to the middle of the Spring and Autumn Period, about 3000 years ago.Regarding its origin, Mao’s poem preface stated: ""Shu Li", Min (Tongmin) Zong Zhou also. Zhou Dafu served as far as Zong Zhou, and passed the old ancestral temple palace, all of them were millet. The subversion of Min Zhou’s house, hesitation I can't bear to go, but I write poetry." This kind of explanation has been widely accepted by later generations, and the sorrow of Mi Li has become an important allusion, which is used to refer to the pain of subjugation. "Book of Songs" is the first collection of poems in the history of Han literature.It has a profound influence on the development of later generations of poetry and has become the source of the tradition of realism in classical literature.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)